A Step Away | Destiel AU

Chapter 4

The diner was filled with warm, inviting smells as Dean walked in, looking around the quaint place. It had clean white walls and tile floors, contrasting against the bright red booths and chairs that surrounded the pale wooden tables. He found Castiel sitting in a booth about middle ways back, wearing his signature trench coat and staring absentmindedly out the window.

"Hey, Cas." Dean greeted, taking a seat in the booth across from Castiel. The bartender slowly removed his gaze from the window and looked at Dean, a soft smile appearing on his face.

"Hello, Dean. How are you today?" Castiel asked, leaning his arms on the table and relaxing.

"I'm doing okay." Dean replied, glancing around the diner once more. He didn't think he could ever truly say he was doing good, but okay was a nice substitute. He was doing neither good nor bad, and hat was always the best day for him.

"I'm glad." Castiel responded, looking at the waiter as he approached. He seemed young, a black uniform on with a name plate across the shirt, the name 'Alfie' stamped across it.

"Welcome, what drinks would you like to start off with?" The waiter asked, his voice polite and even.

"Is coke alright?" Castiel asked, receiving a nod from Dean and looked back at the waiter. "Two cokes please."

"Alright. Here's two menus. I'll be right back to give you your drinks and take your order." Alfie said, giving both of them a red menu with black lettering before leaving. Dean glanced down at the menu, searching through with a curious eye.

"They have good hamburgers and chicken." Castiel said, not opening his own menu. Dean nodded, his eyes searching out the items.

"Alright, can't go wrong with a bacon cheeseburger then. What are you getting?" Dean sled as he closed his menu and set it on the table.

"Just a regular hamburger. I don't eat much." Castiel mumbled in response. Dean furrowed his eyebrows, but he didn't get to respond as the waiter came back, setting their drinks in front of them before pulling out his notepad.

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked. He wrote down as each one gave them their order. When he left, Dean turned back to Castiel, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Why don't you eat a lot?" Dean asked, taking a sip of his drink and cooling his throat.

"I was a chubby when I was younger. It got me bulled a lot, so I stopped as much as I did." Castiel replied, shrugging and looking at the table.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Dean replied, a frown crossing his face at the blank expression on Castiel's features. What he wouldn't give to know what he was thinking.

"I can't change my past." Castiel said, glancing up at Dean with a strange look in his eyes. "But it did help me. I can understand what other's are feeling, not matter how hard they hide it, just like I can see you're hurting."

Dean stiffened, keeping his gaze carefully pinned on his drink as he hand tightened around the glass, his knuckled white from the skin being pulled taut. "I'm fine, Cas. Like you said, we can't change the past." Dean responded, careful to keep his voice even. His heart was beginning to race, and he felt the urge to run; to get away before Castiel knocked down his walls.